This is an updated online version. Metro Nashville Public Schools' ACT score is an 18.8, which school officials said was revised after the 2016-17 school year.

Tennessee students had the highest ACT composite score ever, edging last year's number by a tenth of a point.

The 2018 ACT composite score of 20.2 sets a new standard for the state as it has inched toward its goal of bringing student averages to a 21 on the standardized exam by 2020.

The average ACT score for the 2018 public school graduating class in each subject area, according to a Tennessee Department of Education news release, was:

19.7 in English, up 0.2 points;

19.5 in math, up 0.1 points;

20.7 in reading, up 0.3 points;

And 20.3 in science, the same as the previous year.

In 2018, 2,000 more students took the test than in the 2016-17 school year, with 1,463 more Tennessee public school graduates eligible for Tennessee's HOPE scholarship by earning composite scores of 21 or higher.

Tennessee Commissioner of Education Candice McQueen celebrated the results and praised educators in the Wednesday news release about the scores.

"The ACT provides an opportunity for our students to show they are college and career ready, and seeing a higher average score at the same time more students are taking the test is a true testament to the work that is happening in Tennessee schools,” McQueen said. “Our schools are increasingly moving toward deeper teaching and learning that meets our higher expectations, and that focus pays off on tests like the ACT and SAT.”

District ACT takeaways

Nashville public schools saw a slight increase in overall scores from the 2016-17 school year, rising a tenth of a point to an 18.9 composite score.

Nashville public schools tested more students overall with more student scoring a 21 or above on the exam, said Director of Schools Shawn Joseph.

“We are moving slowly, but we are certainly moving in the right direction," Joseph said.

Elsewhere, Knox County Schools improved, while Shelby County Schools saw a dip.

Knox County Schools students scored a 21.4 average composite, up from a 21.1 in 2016-17. And in Shelby County Schools, students scored a 17.7 composite overall, down from a 17.8 in the 2016-17 school year.

In Middle Tennessee, the majority of area districts improved their overall scores, including Williamson County Schools.

The district once again topped its previous year scores, with its students averaging a 25.4 composite score. That is a two-tenths of a point increase over the 2016-17 school year.

Other state improvements on the 2018 test

The state also reported that economically disadvantaged students increased scores at a faster rate than any other student group.

The students scored an average of 0.2 points, bringing their average composite score up to a 17.7, according to the state's numbers. That's compared to a 17.5 in 2017.

Additionally, those students outpaced their peers in the growth of the overall number of students scoring a 21 or higher.

In 2018, 23 percent of students who are economically disadvantaged earned a score of 21 or higher compared to 21.2 in 2017.

Why does it matter?

Nationally, ACT results serve as a measure to indicate college and career readiness.

Earning a 21 on the ACT signals that students are prepared for their next step in life, whether it be college, the workplace or the military.

Tennessee has focused on increased participation on the test among its students and opened up additional opportunities for students to take the test in recent years.

"Our state has sent a strong signal to the country that Tennessee is committed to providing opportunities for our students’ futures,” McQueen said. “With these results, more students are able to receive scholarship dollars, gain entry to postsecondary programs, and eliminate the need for remedial classes, allowing them to start their journey to lifetime success from day one."